Trend Watch: Heavy Liner

Thick black eyeliner was the look at the CFDA Awards; which is awesome because I'm a huge fan. It is an easy look good for a summer day, running around, or evening out where you're out eating or drinking because the look requires a nude lip (and even if the liner smudges it just goes from heavy to smoky).

Libation Alert: The St. Thomas

Ingredients:

1 ounce vodka

1/2 ounce peach schnapps

1/2 ounce Malibu coconut rum

3 ounces cranberry juice

A dash of lemon juice

Method:

Combine vodka, peach schnapps and coconut rum in a cocktail glass. Fill almost to the brim with cranberry juice, add a splash of lemon juice and serve.

Nutrition:

Calories: 180

Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 47
Bike: 26
Run: 19
Swim: 22
Yoga: 62
Dance: 31

How skinny is too skinny - the debate continues

Since the death of model Ana Carolina Reston (at age 21) at São Paulo's fashion week in November of 2006, from complications arising from anorexia, the fashion industry has been very touchy about the great weight debate. How skinny is too skinny? How young is too young to model? Who decides what is healthy? (São Paulo has now banned models under 16 and demanded a health certificate for girls taking part in runway shows). I am personally torn, because I like the very thin model look - the haute couture, concave, angular, body as architecture look but there is a point when skinny becomes scary. Can that be quantified? Is it possible to create a standard that accounts for different body types, age, and metabolism??

For my skinny example I'll use French model Audrey Marnay (I'm a huge fan and I think she's beautiful in such and interesting and unusual way)


She is much smaller than the Victoria Secret/Swimsuit/Men's Magazine Models, but in my opinion still healthy looking. Just for the occasional male reader (love Heidi too - a perfect example of sexy without being cheap):



Now here, for me is where skinny goes into scary. Below is Allegra Versace who was checked into a hospital to combat anorexia by her family.



"Thin" is a difficult issue for me because it is so subjective and I feel to some extent that every person feels under scrutiny or just has days when they feel like a Good Year Blimp. Having see seen several good friends suffer through anorexia there becomes a cross over point where they go from skinny to skeletal. I don't think that we need to encourage this trend because British health experts have said that anorexia has the highest fatality rate of any psychiatric illness with 13 - 18 % of sufferers dying (most commonly from heart disease or suicide). Similarly, most people do not have the same shape at 24, 34, 44 (etc.) that they have when they are 13 - 15 which is the common age of runway models when they are signed. Having to deal with a changing body shape in the spotlight and having to compete with younger girls that haven't necessarily gone through puberty at that point seems unfair.

On the flip side, if your job is based on the condition of your body, is it not your responsibility to be at the top off your game. Do we judge models on the same rigorous principles as we would judge an athlete? Personally, I was shocked when I saw Karolina Kurkova at São Paulo a few months ago...I'm going to get hated on for this one, but it's my blog so I can say what I want. She looked fine for a normal woman, but as one of the world's top-payed models right now, her body was not where it needed to be.


Recently, the editor of British Vogue "weighed" in (pun totally intended) on the issue by sending out a letter to established fashion houses to make them stop sending out size zero clothes. This interested me and here is what I found online at www.telegraph.co.uk: by Roya Nikkhah Published: 10:00AM BST 14 Jun 2009 Miss Shulman accused designers of an "increasingly disturbing" practice of sending fashion magazines "minuscule" clothes for fashion shoots, which forced editors to hire models with "jutting bones and no breasts or hips". Eleni Renton, a leading model agent who has pioneered the use of healthy-looking girls, said: "It is about time that somebody stood up to the designers, and it is hugely brave of Alexandra to come out and say there is a problem. "I have had girls turn up to shoots and not be able to fit into the samples and these are model-size, slim women. "It has become ridiculous and for too long, designers have been getting away with making clothes that are simply not designed for normal women." Hilary Alexander, the Telegraph’s fashion director, said: “I totally support Alex and addressing this issue is long overdue. “Her call now needs to be backed by all the other glossy magazine editors, who must join the chorus if they want to see a change within the fashion industry. One lone voice will not be enough.” Emma Healey of Beat, the charity that supports people affected by eating disorders, said: "This is very welcome. The whole controversy over size zero models has been a wake up call. "It is very encouraging to see Vogue taking a stance like this." Miss Shulman said that clothes created by designers for the catwalk which were then sent to magazines for photoshoots had become "substantially smaller" and that Vogue was now having to "retouch" photographs "to make the models appear larger". In a letter to fashion houses including Prada, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel, Miss Shulman wrote: "We have now reached a point where many of the sample sizes don't comfortably fit even the established star models. "Instead, we are having to use girls with jutting bones and no breasts or hips, to fit them." She added: "I am finding that the feedback from my readers and the general feeling in the UK is that people don't really want to see such thin girls."

I think that the fashion houses should be responsible for supplying a range of sample sizes to magazines. If the clothes are too big they can be tailored or pinned but even waif-ish models like Kate Moss (who, by the way I do not think is too thin) are not the same size as the younger runway models and there is very little use killing oneself to reverse hormones and puberty. I guess this was a long one without any real resolution but I think its an interesting jumping off point for discussion.

Fashion Tweets

Here, a directory of some of the leading fashion industry Tweeters:

Adidas: www.twitter.com/adidasrunning
American Apparel: www.twitter.com/americanapparel
Banana Republic: www.twitter.com/BROfficial
BCBG Max Azria: www.twitter.com/BCBGMAXAZRIA
Betsey Johnson: www.twitter.com/xoBetseyJohnson
Calvin Klein: www.twitter.com/calvinklein
Charlotte Ronson: www.twitter.com/cjronson and www.twitter.com/shopronson
Dior: www.twitter.com/Lady_Dior
Diane Von Furstenberg: www.twitter.com/InsideDVF
Donna Karan: www.twitter.com/dkny
French Connection: www.twitter.com/frenchconn39
The GAP: www.twitter.com/GapOfficial
Gucci: www.twitter.com/GuccibyGucci
H&M USA: www.twitter.com/hmusa
Hayden Harnet: www.twitter.com/hayden_harnett
Henry Holland: www.twitter.com/henryholland
Isaac Mizrahi: www.twitter.com/isaacmizrahi
J. Mendel: www.twitter.com/jmendelfashions
Kate Spade: www.twitter.com/katespadeny
Lacoste: www.twitter.com/LACOSTE
Liz Claiborne: www.twitter.com/LizClaiborneNY
Loehmanns: www.twitter.com/Loehmanns
Louis Vuitton: www.twitter.com/LouisVuitton_US
Marc Ecko: www.twitter.com/beingmarcecko
Nike: www.twitter.com/nikebasketball
Nordstrom: www.twitter.com/nordstrom
Oscar de la Renta: www.twitter.com/OscarPRgirl
Rachel Roy: www.twitter.com/rachel_roy
Rebecca Minkoff: www.twitter.com/RebeccaMinkoff
Saks: www.twitter.com/SaksSF
Stella McCartney: www.twitter.com/stellamccartney
T.J. Maxx: www.twitter.com/tjmaxx
Tory Burch: www.twitter.com/toryburch
Urban Outfitters: www.twitter.com/urbanoutfitters
Vivienne Tam: www.twitter.com/VivienneTam
William Rast: www.twitter.com/williamrast

Roberto Cavalli Campaign

I am thrilled to see the uniquely beautiful Karen Elson utilized in Roberto Cavalli's nightlife ad campaign. Shot by Steven Meisel, other party goers include Isabeli Fontana and Clement Chabernaud...and all I can say is it looks like a hell of a night on the town! Hand me a drink!

Glamping

While I must say that I'm more of a luxury resort in an exotic location kind of girl, my darling friend Victoria is expected to participate in an outdoorsy camping trip and wanted some tips on "glamping" - aka luxurious, glamorous camping. I cannot leave one of my dearest friends in a flooded campsite with a leaky tent shivering in a smelly, borrowed sleeping bag...so here goes!

If given the appropriate amount of time, resources, and ability to govern the trip then research, research, research. Many campsites now have tents complete with carpeting, down duvets, and electricity as well as on-site hot tubs and saunas and a variety of activities ranging from horseback riding to kayaking. If you really plan ahead you could end up at a site with a walk-in tent with beds, heated blankets, and a mess tent serving haute cuisine. Of course, if your significant other is a "rough it" type of individual...you should consider a new significant other bwahahahaha, just kidding. I guess you're out off luck and now you're on to plan b! (although I strongly recommend that you carry the number of the nearest hotel just in case it does rain). Here are my "glamping" necessities:

1. Jimmy Choo's Hunter Wellington Rainboot. Made cool when Kate Moss wore wellies to the Glastonbury Music Festival, the cool new Choo boot is of course rubber, but the material has been embossed with a chic crocodile pattern and has leopard print lining and gold buckle details.

2. The Swiss Glamour Camping Kit, made by Urban Decay together with Paul Frank contains 125 dollars worth of cosmetic goodies, like eyeliners, pencils, brushes, eye shadows, lip gloss, over-sized sunglasses, a matching case, and obviously, a mirror.
3. Mahalo water made from 100% Hawaiian Deep Sea Water claims to offer the purest water on earth and contains a very high amount of minerals. I don't care if I can have mountain fresh water...I want imported Hawaiian water biatches!!


4. You can still have some comfort like back home while on a camping trip with the N!ergy tent. The tent includes an E! Power Pak which powers 12-volt gadgets right inside the tent. The system combines three 12-volt outlets inside the tent which you can connect to a power system. The 12-volt outlets also double as night lights since they shine blue when powered ON.

4. Recently showcased among the many beers at the Beertopia World Beer Festival in New York was this unique new product – Champagne Lager (Or Champagne Beer as it is known in the US). Boasting a new category unto itself this export brand of a London based Cobra Beers will put the glam into beer drinking. Carrying a powerful 8% ABV and double fermented in Belgium’s world famous Rodenbach brewery, bringing out all the subtleties and character of its fine ingredients, this Champagne Beer comes in a sleek dark champagne-style bottle with the tagline “This holiday season have your beer and your champagne too!” Available in 750ml bottles, with retail price around $12 it’s perfect for adding the glitz and glam to even outdoor events.

5. Down comforter, down pillow, fleecy blankets

6. Even sub-zero temperatures won't interfere with your sleep when you're zipped up in this luxurious heated sleeping bag from Heatek. The bag operates on a 12-volt, 9-Ah battery (included) and comes with an AC/DC rechargeable adapter unit that can be plugged into your car's cigarette lighter. Once it's turned on, the bag takes only about five minutes to heat up, and its automatic temperature control works for up to eight hours, creating the ideal climate for a full night's sleep. The durable waterproof shell keeps the bag dry for ultimate efficiency and also breathes well to keep you from feeling clammy at night.

7. Dried fruit (I like the variety of options at Trader Joe's), nuts (a la tamarind almonds), wasabi peas, and prepped grilling food (ie Whole Foods)

8. Your own grill. Yes, there is something to be said for campground bonfires...and that something is s'mores. For everything else...bring your own grill so you're not stuck eating things that have unglamourously fallen in the ashes.

9. Beach towels, camp chairs, and a hammock (for your significant other to lovingly assemble from tree to tree)...you don't want to end up sitting on the ground especially with icky sticky bug spray or sunscreen. I may defy logic on this one but when camping I do NOT do the shower thing...communal bathing (unless it is in a bath house) is simply not an option and if I'm leaving on a Friday, I will be home Sunday so I keep as dirt free as possible to help with this endeavor! Also, Sephora's Naturia Dry Shampoo allows you to wash your hair sans water leaving hair healthy and clean in minutes!!! Moisturizer and eye shades...because mountain air is often dry and you don't want to be awakened at 6 am on a Saturday morning. Also, if you see horrifying wildlife, put on eye shades and it totally disappears ;). I've been trying to think of a way around the public pottying, but my best solution is planning day trips into areas accessible to hotel bathrooms or restaurants!

10. Deep tissue massage upon return to civilization to get any potential knots and post-traumatic stress banished!!

Recipe: Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

"Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower that I want you to believe are Mashed Potatoes"

Ingredients

·1 head of cauliflower
·1 small onion (red or yellow)
·1-2 TBSP organic butter
·1-2 cloves of garlic (this will depend on your taste)

Directions

Steam or boil the cauliflower. Chop the onion and sauté it with either olive oil, butter or coconut oil. Add the cooked cauliflower to the sautéed onions and sauté together for approximately 8 minutes. Take the cauliflower and onion sauté and puree in a food processor or blender. Add a tablespoon or more of butter and blend. Take 2 cloves of garlic and chop them up into small pieces. Add more olive oil, butter or coconut oil to pan and cook the garlic until brown (but try not to burn it). Pour the garlic into your mashed cauliflower and mix by hand.

You all know that I looooove garlic (thank god Rob does too - bwahahaha) but on top of its amazing yumminess, garlic has incredible antibiotic and blood cleansing properties (which is why it is so great for a cold or other infections). It has been shown to have 1% of the potency of penicillin and can ward off a number of bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, Cryptococcal meningitis, Candida albican and Staphylococcus. The problem with most antibiotics is that bacteria develops resistance to them, however this is not the case with garlic. Additionally, garlic helps with acne, cardiovascular health, and lowering "bad" cholesteral through its blood cleansing properties. It also contains Allicin, which increases antioxidant enzymes so that's always a plus. This has not been scientifcally proven, but I'm pretty sure it wards off icky co-workers and unwanted lunch-mates as well ;)

Tim Burton's "Alice"

March 2010 will see the opening of Tim Burton's "Alice and Wonderland" starring (of course) Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as well as Ann Hathaway and Aussie actress Mia Wasikowska. Filmed in Cornwall in the UK, the film will feature Burton's off-kilter aesthetic and should be a fun new fantasy world to explore!

Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter


Helena Bonham Carter as The Queen of Hearts


Ann Hathaway as The White Queen

Bella

So, I've read three of the Twilight books in the last week and having seen the movie I was utterly disappointed with some of the casting choices. First, and foremost was Bella because Bella needs to be ethereal looking (Kristen Stewart is not) which is generally more of a "blonde" trait (see Tanya Dziahileva below) but she also needs to be an attainable to provide the proper juxposition between her human characteristics and edward's otherwordly perfection.



In my head I've been trying to figure out what ethereal brunette actress should have played Bella. Winona back in the day would have been great but she definitely can't pass for 17 anymore and therefor wouldn't have the youth or "innocence" to play Bella.



Others options I thought off ranged from Natalie Portman, Kiera Knightly, and Kate Beckinsdale (all too mature to play 17 as well)...but of the younger crop of girls (choosing only from actresses and not models) the best in my opinion would probably be:

Amanda Seyfried with brown hair


Isabel Lucas


Leighton Meester


So those are my thoughts for Bella at the moment :)

Rachel Zoe's 34 Style Must Have's

Celeb Stylist and Bravo TV Star Rachel Zoe has released her 34 essential style pieces and they are as follows:

1. The blazer and shirt with jeans combo. She likes the tuxedo jacket either tailored or the boyfriend style.

2. Metallic jacket

3. Leather leggings

4. Kate Moss's dress for Topshop (topshop.com)

5. Gold sequin shirt and coat

6. Black sequin tunic (either worn as a dress with tights and a pair of pumps or as a top with skinny jeans)

7. Kate Moss's wrap dress for Topshop (topshop.com)

8. Matthew Williamson's silk tunic for H&M

9. Gold peep-toe Louboutin shoes

10. Resurrection vintage Chanel purse

11. Berry hard nail polish (essie), Bubble Bath nail polish (OPI), Givenchy mascara, Phenomen'eyes (Sephora), Leica C-Lux 3 Camera

12. H&M Straw Tote and White Tunic

13. Missoni Home towels and bikinis (net-a-porter.com)

14. Dior Brown Sandals

15. Byron William's Hair products (bybyron.com)

16. Louis Vuitton necklace

17. Genevieve Jones bracelets

18. Alexis Bittar lucite jewelry (alexisbittar.com)

19. Kathy Rose bracelets and rings (roseark.com)

20. Chanel's Deco Cuff

21. Resurrection Vintage Chanel gold necklace and bracelets

22. Tom Ford's "Claudio" and "Scarlett" sunglasses (online at Neiman Marcus)

23. Teal jeans (a la Matthew Williamson's for H&M)

24. Dark jeans (Rachel likes 7 for all Mankind's "Ginger" wide leg jean - 7forallmankind.com)

25. Clutches (like Louis Vuitton's) as a perfect day to night option

26. Kate Moss's Topshop sequin cardigan and jeans (topshop.com)

27. Stella McCartney's "IDONY" sneakers for Adidas (shopadidas.com)

28. American Apparel's t-shirts and tanks

29. Brian Atwood's Metallic Burgundy shoes

30. Gold and Black Louis Vuitton shoes

31. Domaine Ott Rose (as the perfect drink for a holiday that says sunshine and beaches)

32. YSL/Resurrection vintage fedora

33. Vicini sandals

34. Guiseppe Zanotti silver shoes

From this list, I can take away the following. Focus on creating classic looks with special pieces. If you're going to focus on shoes or jewelry, then really highlight that aspect and keep the rest things that can transition from season to season. Keep an eye out for vintage designer labels (I found a fabu Vuitton clutch at a church thrift store for ten bucks) or look to ebay for items - if you know your size in a particular designer or if you go for accessories you should get a good bang for your buck. Big vintage sunglasses, bold jewelry, and sassy accents will spice up any outfit. If you are going to splurge, go for a quality item that is classic but unique so that it will be something that you are pleased with for years to come.

Recipe: Almond Sugar Cookies

This one is for Jess! Makes 12 cookies. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 8-ish mins.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup almond meal
1 cup sugar substitute
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch cinnamon
splash honey

Grease cookie pan then make little cookie balls. You can top them with cacao powder, shaved almonds, almond butter, honey, blahblah and they're hella good!

Grilled Salmon with Basil Cream Reduction

This recipe is courtesy of my good friend, Phil. He suggests serving with asparagus or green beans and I think a nice crisp Riesling would be in order (personally)

For Salmon
4 Salmon steaks
2 TBS Olive Oil
2 TBS Lemon Juice
Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper

For Sauce
20 fresh Basil leaves
1/3 Cup dry white wine
2 cloves Garlic
1 Cup heavy cream
1 TBS fresh Lemon juice
2 TBS unsalted Butter
Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste

1)Preheat grill to high.

2)Rinse salmon under cold water, drain and blot dry. Brush salmon on both sides with the oil. season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

3)Combine Basil, wine and garlic in a blender and process until a smooth puree forms. transfer to a small heavy saucepan and stir in cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, be careful because the cream can boil over very rapidly. Reduce by half, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in butter and lemon juice, when the butter is incorporated into the cream mixture remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. cover and keep warm.

4)Grill your salmon to desired temperature, when salmon just starts to fully flake is about right. Remove from heat.

5) Spoon sauce over salmon and serve.

Almond/Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins

Preheat oven to 350, cook for 25 - 30 mins depending on desired moistness. Makes 11-ish muffins.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar substitute
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 - 2 cups blueberries depending on desired berriness (I used about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Method:
Beat butter, eggs, salt, and sugar and once that ish is whipped add the rest of the ingredients sans blueberries and beat that too. Add blueberries and spoon-mix. Put in greased muffin tin and bake for a little over 25 mins. I checked at 25 and put them back in for another five. The fork needs to go in and come out cleanly!

Sunlight

Maybe it's the fact that I haven't seen nearly enough of it lately or maybe it's because I got a Livestrong newsletter today (that I repeatedly mark as spam....you all KNOW that I think Lance Armstrong is hella annoying and brings out my violent tendencies) discussing the dangers of sun exposure, but this deserves its own post. I'm not going to get all scientific mostly because I'm lazy and don't want to direct quote and footnote this ish...and since this is my blog and not a term paper - I DON'T have to!!!

In my totally unscientific opinion, a greater danger is that we do not get nearly enough sun! Most of us (myself excluded for the moment, but please see the aforementioned weather comment) spend 40 + hours a week inside working, another approximately 60 hours a week sleeping which between eating, indoor activities, weather complications, and limited daylight hours very little time to be outdoors enjoying the sun's rays.

I find that the more time I spend outside the happier and in my opinion, healthier I am. There is something very important about real light (as opposed to flourecents...and not just that it makes you look better) to the point where if I am sick or upset I really think it cures me. It is a stress reliever, an energizer, and an aphrodisiac all rolled into one. I mean, is it so nuts to think that if the sun and water can provide a plant with everything it needs to be healthy that it wouldn't do something amazing for us as well (although I do have yet to complete photosynthesis - I'll post back if I do).

So as summer approaches, let us not fear the sun...let us expose ourselves to it gradually and often so that it doesn't burn us. There is a reason that people exposed to the sun regularly in dessert or tropical climates are darker and I'd hazard a guess they have a lower skin cancer level than us Americans do with our sunscreen, protective clothing, and huge hats exposing ourselves for long periods of time rather irregularly. Maybe it is more because we avoid the sun like little gremlins for 90 % of the year to go on vacations and then we're suprised that we're burned and have created sun damage. So I guess my message is respect the sun but do not fear the sun!

Libation Alert: Mexican Mojito

I chose the Mexican Mojito because it is, of course, raining and I need to share a little warm weather inspiration...so, let us all pretend that we're poolside in Cabo with one of these babies!!! (oh yeah, and the bartender is superhot and thinks our jokes are funny)

Ingredients:

1⁄4 ounce agave nectar

1 lime wedge

Fresh mint sprigs

1 1⁄2 ounces white tequila

3 1⁄2 ounces club soda

Method:

Add the agave nectar, lime wedge and mint sprigs to a cocktail glass and muddle (mash up) the ingredients to bring out the flavors and pull the mint flavor into the liquid. Add ice and top with the tequila and club soda.

Similar to the traditional mojito — with its refreshing combination of muddled mint, sweetener and lime juice — but with white tequila and pure agave nectar instead of rum and sugar cane syrup, for a more Southwestern flair. The Mexican Mojito is 100 percent natural and perfect to serve on a warm sunny afternoon, garnished with fresh mint. (and because of all the substitutions we only have to swim 16 minutes to have another - yay for refreshing dips)

Nutrition:

Calories: 128

Exercise equivalents in minutes:
Walk: 33
Bike: 18
Run: 14
Swim: 16
Yoga: 44
Dance: 22

Health: Organic Food

Government test results have shown that the following fruits and vegetables contain very high pesticide levels and should be purchased in their organic incarnations as often as possible:

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

My question is...why the hell should I have to pay so much more to keep things off of my food? Shouldn't it save the farmers money not to have to use pesticides on my food??? Is the money that the would save incomparable to the amount that they would have to pay to have more people working to keep our food fresh, healthy, harvested, and distributed to consumers that much more that it is cheaper and easier to fill our food with pesticides and hope for the best? Do the government, the farmers organizations, or the companies themselves have an ethical responsibility to provide us with "best practice" products? I can't believe that this is the best product that they can produce and I also think that if people do have to pay upfront extra money to put better "fuel" into their bodies that they should get something back from the government or even more appropriately our healthcare insurance providers for the long term problems that we are avoiding.

As savvy consumers, if we are trying to be as healthy as possible, we need to be aware of the labeling (as apparently there are varying levels of organic products available):

100% Organic: No synthetic ingredients.

Organic: 95% of the ingredients are organic; the other 5% are synthetic.

Made with Organic Ingredients: 70% of the ingredients are organic.

Free-Range: For a farmer to label their product as free-range, they need to provide outdoor access for "an undetermined period each day." That leaves a lot of room for interpretation so purchase with caution (and not just because it is "free-range".)